Car Blog

New Campaign will Rely Heavily on Owners’ Everyday Stories

For the first time, Porsche is challenging many Americans’ perception of Porsche sports cars — and in particular the 911 — in a new campaign launching today. The “Engineered for Magic. Everyday” campaign, via agency Cramer-Krasselt/Chicago, seeks to show the many dimensions of the iconic Porsche 911 and the brand’s other storied sports cars through the lens of daily driving.

“The magic of Porsche is how thoroughly the cars transform your everyday, routine driving,” said David Pryor, vice president of marketing, Porsche Cars North America. “It’s not only about the weekend joyride. It’s the only car in the world that combines true sports car exhilaration and the drivability for daily use. This campaign brings this fact to life, painting a bigger picture of the real Porsche value proposition, in some cases through the words and images of owners themselves.”

Spanning TV, print, online, mobile, direct mail and a cinema promotion, the campaign drives home the engineering genius that allows these coveted sports cars to be everyday drivers.

“When most people think of Porsche, they think ‘magic’ — and the cars certainly are,” said Marshall Ross, chief creative officer, Cramer-Krasselt. “What is markedly different about this campaign is we’re not selling the dream-car mystique of Porsche — that’s already a given. The creative challenge here was to tell the truth of the drivability of the car and still make it feel as special as it really is.” Read the rest of this entry »

Spring is the time to spring for vehicle maintenance.

“Now is the time to get your vehicle into shape for the summer travel season,” said Jim Sassorossi, Head of Sales at Mopar, Chrysler Group’s service, parts and customer-care brand. “Performing preventative maintenance is critical for maintaining the safety and performance of your vehicle.

“For those who own a Chrysler, Dodge, Fiat, Jeep or Ram vehicle, we recommend that they stick with the specialists and have all maintenance and repairs done by qualified, factory-trained technicians in our dealerships,” said Sassorossi. “Our technicians have the expertise, tools and factory-backed parts for these vehicles. And they work on them every single day.” Read the rest of this entry »

With more choices than ever for new cars, AAA helps simplify  the process and narrow the field to help consumers find the ‘right’ car for their lifestyle and budget

For many Americans, their vehicle is one of their largest financial assets. So when the time comes to purchase a new car, it’s not a choice that should be made lightly. To help consumers, AAA offers a checklist of factors to consider when looking for the ‘right’ new car.

“Today’s consumers have more choices than ever when it comes to picking a new vehicle, but that also means the selection process can be much more difficult,” said John Nielsen, AAA National Director of Auto Buying, Repair and Consumer Information. “There are a myriad of factors to consider, many of which take place long before a buyer ever hits a car lot.”

When shopping for a new vehicle, AAA recommends the following:

• Determine What Is Affordable. Before considering any specific makes or models, first sit down with the household budget and determine what is affordable before visiting a car lot. Consider how much a trade-in is worth and how much savings you want to put towards the vehicle. Investigate financing options available to you in advance. Speak to AAA or another insurance agency to get a rough estimate of premiums on the type of vehicle being considered. Take time to sit down and crunch the numbers to determine how much can be comfortably afforded without overextending. Read the rest of this entry »

Sales of motor vehicle service contracts (extended warranties) in the first quarter of 2011 are tracking ahead of sales during the same timeframe last year, a likely result of this quarter’s marked increase in automotive sales, according to the Service Contract Industry Council (SCIC).

Sales of cars and light trucks in the United States rose 27 percent in February from a year ago, following a 17 percent increase in January (source: Automotive News).  The SCIC believes pent-up demand for autos combined with still somewhat cautious consumer spending is creating a strong market demand and need for motor vehicle service contracts, which offer consumers an affordable means of repairing and maintaining new and used vehicles over the long run.

“Sales of vehicle service contracts are up for us so far this year by about 60 percent and future outlook is good,” said Joe Erdeman, president of the Extended Protection Solutions Business at Assurant Solutions, a national provider of service contracts and an SCIC member.  ”Growth is coming from an overall lift in the existing dealer market as well as third party administrators, OEMs and insurance company channels.”

Another SCIC member, Automobile Protection Corporation, which offers EasyCare vehicle service contracts, also reports positive sales. “First quarter 2011 sales of service contracts are tracking ahead of 2010, in both new and used vehicle categories,” said Jennifer Silverberg, vice president of Marketing & Customer Experience at Automobile Protection Corporation.  “The most popular service contracts continue to be those offering long-term coverage.”

“The increased complexity of components and analytics in today’s motor vehicles has greater financial implications when failure occurs,” said Timothy Meenan, executive director of the SCIC, a trade group representing service contract providers and sponsor of industry regulation and consumer protection laws.  ”Service contracts help drivers better manage unexpected, large repair bills; affordably maintain vehicles in top-operating condition; and enhance their vehicle’s value.”

Automotive service contracts are sold mostly by car dealers and can cover essential yet costly-to-repair systems not included in the manufacturer’s power-train warranty, such as air conditioning, power windows, electronics and navigation, and provide coverage after the manufacturer’s limited warranty expires.  Most service contracts are transferable at vehicle sale to a new owner.

If your car has an ugly dent or an unsightly scratch that needs to be fixed, but you’re daunted by the task of doing it yourself – or by the expense involved with having an expert fix it for you – AutoMD offers tips to help alleviate your concerns and, quite possibly, to help you save money on auto body repairs.

The Top Five Cost-Saving Auto Body Repair Tips from AutoMD.com are released to coincide with National Collision Awareness month and to help U.S. consumers put a dent in the estimated $40 billion* they spend annually on collision repairs.

“These simple body repair tips add up to potentially huge cost savings for car owners, whether they are DIYing or going to the repair shop,” said AutoMD.com President Shane Evangelist. “And, of course, during National Collision Awareness month, the number one thing AutoMD.com asks all car owners to do is to drive carefully and safely to avoid collisions and fender benders altogether.”

Following are the Top Five Cost-Saving Auto Body Repair Tips from AutoMD.com:

1. Evaluate auto repair labor rates .

Most auto repair shops have a lower labor rate for body repairs than for mechanical repairs, so be sure to check labor rates ahead of time and evaluate your bill after the work is done to ensure you’re being charged the appropriate rate for the job. Many shops post their rates online. To find the posted rates of a body shop near you, try AutoMD’s Shop Finder.  Shops that do both mechanical and body repairs usually have two rates, so call and ask before you decide where to go. Read the rest of this entry »

The automobile industry is the largest U.S. importer of goods shipped via container transport from Japan, giving auto manufacturing and support businesses the greatest threat of disruption as Japan’s industrial output struggles following the devastating earthquake and tsunami, according to data and analysis from The Journal of Commerce/PIERS.

Japan is the No. 3 exporter of containerized goods to the United States, according to PIERS data, behind China and Korea. The country is second, behind only China, as an importer from the U.S., based on container volume measured by PIERS data.

Although three Japanese ports — Sendai, Hitachinaka and Kashima — have remained closed since the disaster on the northeastern coast, the country’s largest ports, including Tokyo, Kobe and Yokohama in the industrial southern part of the country were open this week and handling commercial vessels.  But Mario Moreno, economist for The Journal of Commerce, said Japanese exports “will weaken in the months ahead as the closing of several manufacturing plants prompted by electricity shortages, combines with severely damaged roads and bridges to hamper production.”

In 2010, U.S. containerized imports of auto parts from Japan, accounted for 28 percent of the total U.S. imports of this commodity globally.  Boosted by solid gains in U.S. auto sales last year, imports of auto parts from Japan rose 22 percent in 2010, according to PIERS data. The increase was already slowing in 2011, growing by only 3 percent, year over year in January 2011 versus 2010.

“The positive trend is unlikely to continue,” says Moreno.  ”U.S. car manufacturers, like Toyota, must meet strict specifications and use Toyota-made auto parts only.”  Moreno’s forecast issued in December anticipated a 2.5 percent decline in U.S. containerized imports from Japan, coming off high volumes in 2010.

Japan’s bilateral trade includes China as its top export market, with 21 percent of its total exports in 2010, while the U.S. accounted for 17 percent.  Japan’s export to China was $598 billion in 2010, up 36 percent from 2009, and exports to the U.S. totaled $482 billion, up by 26 percent from 2009.(1)

(1) Containerized and non-containerized data sourced from PIERS Stats Plus